Never mind the temperature outside, the race for the Barclays Premier League title is heating up.

As confirmation, you need only pay the slightest attention to the garbage being spouted by the manager of Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson would have fools believe that there were sinister forces at work when the fixture list was drawn up and that it was designed to make life difficult for the Champions.

I laughed when I saw how many people were actually taking the point seriously.

Didn't they notice that all those problematic away fixtures in the first half of the season would be balanced out by the reverse home games coming up?

Nah, and none of the ‘brave' reporters witnessing the Fergie tosh had the bottle to point it out.

And, of course, he's already begun his annual ‘mind games'. Sir Alex, questioning Liverpool's ability to last the pace, says the players at Anfield don't have the experience of a title run-in behind them.

That's true but, as Jamie Carragher predicted some time ago, when Fergie starts involving Liverpool in these verbal jousts it's a sure sign he's taking their challenge seriously.

When United step out against Chelsea tomorrow that challenge may seem greater than ever because, if events proceed at Stoke this evening as I expect them to, Chelsea will be six points behind the leaders and United ten points adrift - albeit the Champions have three games in hand.

So this Old Trafford clash has huge significance.

In normal circumstances I suspect both teams would be happy enough with a draw, the same outcome as when they met earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge.

However, Liverpool are making this an abnormal campaign.

You might even cite the presence of Aston Villa as well though I continue to doubt them as proper contenders.

Chelsea, certainly, can ill afford to lose. I know there doesn't seem much logic involved - second in the table; into the knock-out stages of the Champions League - but there's a growing view that there's something wrong at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho constructed a feeling of invincibility about that group of players. Where has it gone?

Would a Mourinho team have conceded those late equalisers to Fulham and, heavens, Southend?

Is it inconceivable that Scolari might be sacked if Chelsea lose on Sunday and, worse, lose in the Cup replay?

It's perhaps as well for the Brazilian that it would cost an absolute fortune to pay him off and Abramovich is busy counting his roubles these days.

Strangely, United's form isn't that much better. I know it was a weakened team at Derby but United's display was lamentable and scratching one-nil victories against the likes of Stoke and Middlesbrough is equally worrying.

Furthermore, surely the only way to nail down an important player like Tevez - more important, for me, than the enigmatic Berbatov - is to sort out a contract pronto.

Much uncertainty surrounds this match tomorrow. I can foresee a draw.

Give Potters a break

I'm off to the Britannia Stadium tonight for the visit of the Premier League leaders.

I saw Liverpool hit eight goals in a League Cup tie on the only previous occasion I've been to Stoke's new ground! Can't happen again, can it?

Now I have to admit I haven't been badgering my London producers to get to Stoke this season.

My initial views of Tony Pulis' team led me to believe that they bring less to the top division than even Watford did - to say the least, they aren't pretty to watch.

And it was noticeable that few tears were shed outside the Potteries when City suffered that ignominious FA Cup defeat at Hartlepool last weekend.

Rather, the rest of the country was laughing itself silly.

However, maybe we are being unfair.

Yes, Stoke rely excruciatingly on the long ball and on those prodigious throw-ins by Rory Delap but there's nothing ‘illegal' about their football.

It's purely recognition of their technical limitations. They're doing their best. We ‘snobs' should give them a break.

A Bridge too far

And so, the silliness of the January transfer window has kicked in.

Manchester City, appreciating there's an inflated transfer price to pay for ‘the richest club in the world' gave Chelsea £12m for their reserve left-back and boosted his weekly wage from £70,000 to £90,000.

It's with a straight face that Wayne Bridge says he anticipates a bright future at Eastlands.

City, too, it seems are willing to offer West Ham's Scott Parker £100,000 a week. SCOTT PARKER for goodness sake!

Then we have Spurs, that ‘big club' that hasn't won anything of consequence since the FA Cup in 1991, deciding it makes sense to re-sign Jermain Defoe for £6 million - MORE than they sold him for a year ago.

Mind you, the tale of another Jermain(e) beats the lot for me. Pennant, who's done absolutely nothing at Liverpool, wanted too much money to sign for Real Madrid. Now he's a target for AC Milan. Honestly, you couldn't make it up.